The History of Dance Cards
In the 1800s, fashionable ladies of Vienna, Austria, wore an unusual accessory to the ball. A small, leather-covered booklet known as a dance card either dangled from her wrist by a decorative ribbon, or was attached to the sleeve of her ball gown, and listed names of gentlemen who desired a turn with the lady on the dance floor.
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Dance Card Origin
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Dance cards, also known as Ballspenden in the German language, originated in the 1700s and soared in popularity among the elite in 19th-century Vienna. In celebration of Fasching, the annual pre-Lenten period in Austria, prominent organizations sponsored formal dances, according to the Museum of Learning website. A dance card cover highlighted the specific group responsible for arranging the elegant ball.
Dance Card Function
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Dance cards contained a line alongside each listed song title on which the name of a lady's prospective dance partner could be entered by using the attached pencil. A charm symbolizing the society that hosted the formal event---such as the royal crest of an imperial family---was sometimes fastened to the dance card. On occasion, a slightly higher fee was required of ladies upon admission to an event in order to compensate for the cost of the dance card, which became a keepsake.
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Dance Card Decline
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In the early 1900s, dance card popularity spread from Western Europe to Russia, Hungary, America and beyond. In time, however, interest in dance cards waned due to a decline of paper quality and less elaborate designs, according to the Dance Card Company website.
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